Ice tray organization for refrigerators



Aug. 22, 1939. J, H, WNER 2,170,592

ICE TRAY ORGANIZATION FdR REFRIGERATORS Filed March 8, 1938 Slum-mien:

James J[. Miner,

Patented AugQZZ, 1939 PATENT OFFICE ICE TRAY ORGANIZATION FOBREFBIGERATORS James H. Miner, Meridian, Miss. Application Mamas, 1938,Serial No. 194,672 9 Claims. o1. 62-4085) The invention concerns an icetray for use with refrigerators, and one object is to provide a tray,the main element of which will be of simple and substantiallyconventional form, but so arranged or related to'ea'ch' other that bypressing or forcing the grid downwardly after the waterhas been frozen,the ice cubes will be separated from the contacting walls of the gridand tray in order that they readily may be removed.

I'he invention is shown iri the accompanying drawing and consists'in thefeatures and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter describedand particularly pointed out in the claims.-

- Figure l is a side view of a tray organization embodying myinvention.-

Fig. 2 is an end view.,

Fig. 3 is an end view of the grid.

Fig. 4 is an end view of thetray with its en a wall partly broken away.

Fig. 5 illustrates another form of the invention to secure the initialelevated position of the grid v relative to the tray.

In the drawing i indicates the tray proper go which may be made ofstainless steel or aluminum, and of a substantially conventional formhaving, upwardly and outwardly inclined side walls as shown in Fig. 2,and also upwardly and outwardly inclined end walls as shown in Fig. 1..0 It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited toa tray of the form just de{ scribed. It is preferably of elongatedshape.

"Within this tray a grid is placed consisting of a longitudinallyextending partition wall 2 set up as on edge. and having its end edgessubstantially conforming to the shape of the end walls of the tray. Thispartition member may be in one piece from end to end, or it maybedivided in the center of its length to provide an independent grid sec-40 tion at each endof the tray. This central partitlon member carrieslaterally extending fins or supplemental partition members 3 whichextend laterally from-the central partition member towards each sideof'the tray, and divide the space I up into cube forming pockets.Thisgrid member when placed in the tray is intended to be initially.elevated, as it were, above the bottom .of the tray,- and for thispurpose suitable means or relation? between the parts is provided. go;,As an example of said means I show a strip 4 of yielding material suchas rubber, extending along the bottom of the tray at the center portionthereof; this strip being of suiilclent depth or thickness vertically tohold the grid so that the lower edges [of its laterally; extending iinsor supplemental partition members will .be elevated above the bottom ofthe tray when the grid is seatedtherein. y

The lower'edges 5 of the laterally extending fins are sharpened so thatwhen/the grid is l presseddownwardly, this being allowed by the yieldingquality of the rubber strip, these sharpened lower edges will cut theice formation lying below them, and the action will be such that the icecubes will be loosened from the walls of the 10 tray and from the wallsprovided by the longltudinal partition and laterally extending fln's ofthe grid.

As is well known, the amount of displacement between the parts of thegrid organization need 15 not be but very slight in order to loosen thecubes, and this slight movement is rendered possible by the initialelevation of the grid relative to the tray by the use of the resilientstrip as a means for initially holding the grid slightly above 80 thebottom of the tray. The central partition of the grid-and those portionsof the laterally extending fins which overlie the rubber strip are bluntso that they will merely indent or distort the rubber without cuttingit. The sides of the tray may be arranged to yield as the grid is forceddown into the tray. Pressure may be exerted for forcing the griddownwardly by any suitable means such as a lever which may find afulcrum at .one point of the .30 tray and extend thence over the grid,or the grid may be forced down by pressure applied in any suitable way,or by a mallet used for tapping or striking the grid at any suitablepoint or points thereon.

As above stated, the grid may be intact from end 'to end, or itmay bedivided at the center of its length. I do ;not limit myself to a rubberstrip as the means of securing, in eife'ct, an initial elevation of thegrid within thetray member, nor 40 to the location of the strip at thelongitudinal center line of the tray. a

' In Fig. 5 I show a modification of theinven tlon whereby the gridinstead of being elevated above the bottom of the tray by a centrallydisposed yieldingstrip, is supported by two strips 8, one at each sideof'the tray in the cornerbetween the side wall and the bottom ofthetray. These strips, like the central strip above de- I scribed,extend from'end to end of the tray. so

The invention is not limited to theconstructlon shown which isillustrative of, but not restrictive upon thescope of the invention, forwhich reference is'made to the appended claims.

Bofarasl am aware, I'amthe flrsttocoordis5 would be forced down nate atray member and a grid member with the grid initially located above thelow position or low level to which it may be moved downwardly in thetray by applying pressure thereto in a downward direction with theobject of causing the grid member of suitable form to act in splittingthe ice and freeing the same from its frozen contact with the walls ofthe grid and tray.

It will be understood that the lower edges of the partition membersincluding the center bar and the laterally extending fins are sharpenedthroughout the major portion of their extent, excepting where the loweredges near the ends of the fins rest upon the spaced apart side stripsof rubber indicated at 6 in Fig. 5.

The height of the grid, or in other words, its position above or spacedapartfrom the upper surface of the bottom wall of the tray, may bevaried. Indeed, I may employ a comparatively .thin sheet of rubbercovering the whole bottom of the tray, this sheet of rubber being, as aninstance, only or slightly more in thickness. The thickness may be onlysuch as will enable the grid when receiving downward pressure, or a blowfrom a mallet or the like, to have sufilcient displacement or downwardmovement to dislocate the ice cubes and to shatter their connection withthe opposing surfaces of the grid and tray.

Instead of a mallet, a suitable lever mechanism may be employed to crackthe cubes lose by slightly displacing the grid downwardly relative tothe tray. The tray is of the same construction, whether the forceapplied to the grid is in the nature of a blow or pressure.

As above stated, the grid may be in sections susceptible of independentmanipulation so that less thanthe entire contents of the tray may becracked away from the walls for its removal, leaving the remaining icein its frozen condition.

Where a lever is used for forcing the grid downwardly, a fulcrumtherefor may be provided by.

slipping a band or cufi onto the tray, which cut? would provide aportion overlying the tray and spaced therefrom so that the end of ahand lever or tool could be thrust between the grid and the underside ofsaid overlying portion with the end of the lever bearing on saidunderside, while an adjacent intermediate part of the lever would bearon the center bar of the grid so that by forcing the free end of thelever downwardly the Joint between the parts.

fWhile I show the grid divided at a point about midway of one of thecube pockets, the invention isnot limited in this way, as thedivision'may be made at any desired point.

I claim:

1. An ice tray organization for refrigerators comprising a tray and agrid held-"above the bottom of the tray, and movable downwardly from its"elevated position for dislocating the ice from the wall of the tray andgrid, said grid'being substantially of the same width and length as theinterior of the tray, and being self-centering also to crack the iceaimsea in respect to the tray by substantially contacting the upstandingwalls thereof, substantially as described.

2. an ice tray organization according to claim 1, resilient means withinthe tray for initially holding the same above the bottom of the tray,said means yielding when the grid is forced downwardly towards thebottom of the tray.

3. In a tray organization according to claim 1, a grid consisting of alongitudinally extending partition having fins extending therefromlaterally towards the sides of the tray, said fins being sharpened ontheir lower edges.

4. An ice tray organization according to claim 1 in which a grid made upof a central longitudinally extending partition and fins extendinglaterally therefrom, a resilientmember upon which the central portion ofthe grid rests, to be forced donwwardiy towards the bottom of the tray,the laterally extending fins being sharpened at their lower edges,excepting where they overlie the yielding strip.

5. In combination a tray of elongated form, a yielding member extendinglengthwise and centrally of the tray, a grid having portions with bluntedges resting upon said yielding member,

and with their portions free from said yielding member, sharpened attheir lower edges to divide the ice when said grid is forced downwardlytowards the bottom of thetray.

6. An ice tray organization for refrigerators comprising a tray andgrid, means for supporting the latter in elevated position within.thetray,

said grid being movable downwardly under presbeing movable downwardlyfrom its initial posit tion to cause its partitions to act upon the icefor splitting or dislocating the same, substantially as described.

8. Incombinauon in an ice tray organization,

va tray proper, a grid and resilient means along the opposite walls ofthe tray resting upon the bottom of said tray, and supporting the gridini-. tially above the bottom of the tray for downward movement whenpressure is applied to said grid,

substantially as described. I g 9. In combination in an ice trayorganization for refrigerators, a. tray proper, .a grid, and a member ofrubber resting upon the bottom of the tray and supporting the grid in anelevated position initially in respect to the bottomof the tray, saidrubber, when downward pressure is exerted on the grid, yielding to allowthe walls of the 1 grid to dislocate or split the ice, substantially asdescribed.

- JAMES H. MINER.

